• A new study says that women who go on dates just for free food are more likely to exhibit dark personality traits like psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism.
  • A “foodie call” is where someone goes out with someone despite a lack of romantic interest because they want a free meal.
  • This is a new trend in dating, which piqued the interest of researchers who wanted to better understand predictors of foodie calls among women.
  • They conducted two experiments and narrowed in on heterosexual women: they found that 23% in the first group engaged in foodie calls and 33% in the second group.
  • In both groups, those who engaged in foodie calls also scored higher in the dark triad of personality traits: psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism.
  • The women who participated in the study are not a nationally representative sample; therefore, researchers cannot be sure these percentages represent all women in the US.

Quick Summary

A new study “Foodie Calls: When Women Date Men for a Free Meal (Rather Than a Relationship)” found that women who go on dates with someone they are not interested in, just to get free food, are more likely to exhibit the dark triad of personality traits. These traits include psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism. 

Goals

A “foodie call” is where someone goes out with someone not because they are romantically interested, but to get a free meal. This is a new trend in the world of dating, one that researchers are interested in exploring further. This particular study wanted to better understand predictors of foodie calls among women, or what experts refer to as “deceptive behavior” in dating. 

Investigation

Researchers conducted two experiments. In the first, they recruited 820 women: 40% were single, 33% were married, and 27% were not married but in a committed relationship. Additionally, 85% were heterosexual. These women answered questions about their personality, opinions on gender roles, and their foodie call history, as well as their opinion on whether foodie calls were socially acceptable or not. In the second experiment, researchers studied 357 heterosexual women and asked them similar questions. 

Results

In their first experiment, researchers found that 23% of women had engaged in a foodie call. Most women did so on occasion or even rarely—and most (despite their foodie call history) thought foodie calls were not socially acceptable. In the second experiment, researchers found that 33% of participants had engaged in a foodie call, which was 10% higher than the first group. 

For both groups, those who engaged in foodie calls received a higher score in the dark triad of personality traits or psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism.

Implications

The researchers say that previous research has found a link between dark traits and deceptive behavior in relationships. This behavior includes one-night stands and sending unsolicited sexual pictures. They go on to note that this study cannot determine how many foodie calls happen in the US. They could, for example, be even more prevalent if women are incorrectly (purposefully or not) reporting their foodie call history. Researchers also note that foodie calls happen in different kinds of relationships (not just romantic relationships) and all genders engage in them. 

Limitations

  • This study did not recruit nationally representative samples of women; therefore, it cannot be sure these percentages are correct for all women in the US. 

Source:

Collisson, B., Howell, J. L., & Harig, T. (2019, June 20). Foodie Calls: When Women Date Men for a Free Meal (Rather Than a Relationship). Social Psychological and Personality Science. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1948550619856308

Society for Personality and Social Psychology. (2019, June 21). Foodie calls: Dating for a free meal (rather than a relationship). ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 10, 2019 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190621140343.htm